Socket switch



April 20, 1926. 1,581,735 Y F. H. HART SOCKET SWITCH Filed Oct. 21. 1922 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 20, 1926.

UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

FRANKLIN H. HART, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO C. COWLES &. COM-- PANY, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION DIE CONNECTICUT.

SOCKET SWITCH.

Application filed October 21, 1922. Serial No. 595,937.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN a citizen ofthe United States, residing at New Haven, county of New Haven, State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Socket Switches, of which the following is a specification.

. This invention relates to electrical switches, and particularly to a socket switch adapted for use in connection with so-called canopy lights for the ceilings of closed automobiles. In some cases these lights are controlled by switches in the body of the vehicle while in others they are controlled by switches in the canopy or dome, and" it is to this latter type of switch to which this invention partied larly relates, an object being to provide a simple socket switch which is readily accessible and which will'be reliable in operation.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a device of this character which will not be easily gotten out of order and one in which, when the circuit is closed, the contacts will be held tightly together toinsure a good connection.

With these and other objects in view I have devised the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing,in which- Fig. 1 is a partial side elevation and a partial sectional view of a canopy showing my improved socketshell installed therein. Fig. 2 is an exploded view showing the various elements of the shell and switch separated and in elevation.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the switch and shell on an enlarged scale, showing the switch closed.

Fig. 41- is a longitudinal section View through the shell, on the scale of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a plan view of the switch plate looking from the inner side thereof.

The canopy light shown comprises a cas ing 10, secured within the sealing or .wall

11 in any suitable manner and open at one side which iscovered by the lens 12 held in position by the ring 13.

The socket swltch comprises asocket shell 14E of metal, projecting from one end of which is an insulating plug 15, and secured to the outer end of this-plug but spaced from the shell 14 is a conducting ring 16.

It will thus be apparent that the ring and the shell are insulated from each other. The ring is alsospaced inwardly from the outer 'end of the plug, except for a contact'lug H. HART,

or projection 17. Extending longitudinally through the plug is a metal rod 18 socketed within its inner end within the shell to recelve a spring 19 and a sliding contact member 20 closed at its outer end. The free end of the rod is curved inwardly at 21 after the contactn'iembcr has been inserted in the socket to form a stop to engage a shoulder- 22 on the contact member 20 to prevent removal of same under the action of the spring 19. The inner end of the shell .14 is provided with the usual bayonet slots 23 adapted to coact with pins or lugs 24 car-- ried by the lamp 25 to secure the same 'in position. The contact member 20 yieldinglyengages the central contact of the lamp and makes an electrical contact therewith and also acts to retain the lugs 2 1 in the ends of the bayonet slots in the usual manner. The rod 18 is secured within the plug by any suitable means such as a screw 26.

Mounted to rotate on the endof the rod 18 projecting from the end of the plug is a metal switch plate 27 provided with a lateral extension on whichis secured an insulating operating handle 28. The end of the rod beyond this plate is preferably pro-f V vided with an annular groove to receive a spring securing washer 29; This washer is split at one side as shown at 30, the width of the split being slightly less than the diameter of the bottom of the groove in the rod so that as the washer is forced laterally into this groove the free ends will yield to allow it to pass into the open throughthe Washer, and then will securely clamp it inposition in a manner well known.

In the outer endof the lnsulatlng plug 15 are provided oneor more, preferably two, recesses 31 in which are placed coiled springs 32 andat the outer endsof these springs are balls 33. The inner face of the switch plate 27 is provided with two spaced recesses 34: and 3 1 for each ball and these recesses are of a depth about one half the diameter of the balls, but the diameter of these recesses is greater. than the diameter ofthe balls to 7 provide inclined sidewalls 35. The switch plate has a contact lug or portion 36 projecting from the periphery'thereof in alignment with theprojecting contact 17 carried by the ring 16, and the recesses i in the switch plate are so located with respect to the balls 33, as to hold the contacts 17 and 36 together in on position, as shown in Fig.

'3, or to hold them separated by the balls resting in the other recesses 34 when the switch handle is moved to the dotted line position shown in this figure, and thus break the circuit through the lamp. The recesses 34 for holding the contacts in engagement are, however, so located that when the switch is in closed position the balls 33' will not be in alignment with the center of the recesses but will rest against the inclined walls thereof at one side of the center of these recesses, as shown at Fig. 3, and thus tend to force the contacts together giving a very close and reliable connection.

Mounted on the conducting ring 16 1s a binding post 37 adapted for connection to one of the lead wires 38, while a binding post 39 is secured to the casing 10 for the otherlead wire 40 from any suitable source of current supply. The side wall of the easing 10 is provided with a suitable, opening through which the socketv shell 14: extends and in which it is secured by any suitable means such as solder.

It will, therefore, beapparent that th .lead' wire 40 has electrical connection with the outer lamp contactthrough the casing 10 and the socket shell 14, whilethe other lead wire 38-, when the switch is closed has electrical connection with the center lamp contact throughthe ring 16, contact 17, contact 36, switchplate 27, rod 18 and Contact member 20. The operating handle extends through an elon ated slot 41 in the ring 13 so is easily accessible.

It will be apparent from the foregoing. description that the device is very simple in construction and compact in arrangement and may be quickly and easily assembled or disassembled for'renewal or repair. Also that the contacts are securelyheld together to give a reliable electrical connection when the switch is closed and that the operating handle is so located as to be easily accessible for operation. c

Having thus set forth. the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

1- In a device of the character described, a lamp socket, an insulating plug. mounted in said socket and projecting from one end thereof, a conducting rod extending longitudinally in said plug and provided with a lamp contact within the socket, a switch member mounted to'turn about said rodias a pivot at'the outer end of the plug in a plane extending transversely of the axis of the rod and provided with a shoulder, a contact mounted on the plug spaced .from said socket and provided with a shoulder located in'the path of movement of said first mentioned shoulder, and means for yieldingly holding the switch member with the shoule ders in contact and in separated relation.

2. Ina device of the character described, a

tubular lamp socket provided at one end movement of the first shoulder, said plug being provided with a recess'leading from. its outer end, a spring in said recess, a ball on top of the spring, said switch plate being provided with spaced recesses in its inner wall to receivesaid ball and coact therewith to hold the shoulders in engagement and in spaced relation, and .means for operating said switch plate.

3; In a device of the'character described,

a lamp socket, an insulating plug mounted in: said socket and projecting from one end thereof, a conducting rod extending longi-v tudinally in, said plug and provided with a lamp contact within the socket, a switch plate mounted to turn about said rod as a pivot at the outer end of the plug in a plane extending transversely of the axis of the plug and provided with a shoulder, a con:- tact mounted on the plug spaced from the socket and provided with a shoulder located in the path of movement of said first mentioned shoulder, said plug being provided with a recessin the outer end thereof, a spring in the recess, a ball in the recess at the outer end ofthe spring, said switch plate being provided with spaced recesses in its inner surface arranged to respectively coact with said ball to retain the shoulders in contact and in spaced relation, said first recess being of greater diameter than the ball. to provide an inclined sidewall, said ball and recess being so arranged that when the switch is closed the ball will rest on the inclined side wall and thus tend to hold said shoulders in contact. i v

4. In a deviceof the character described,a tubular socket shell having lamp securing means at one end, an insulating plug mounted in the shell and projecting from the other end thereof, a conducting bar extending longitudinally through the plug and provided with alamp contact within-the shell,

lug located in the path of movement of said shoulder, and means mounted in the plug for holding the plate with its shoulder against the lug and separated therefrom to close and open the circuit through the device.

5. A socket switch comprising a socket shell, an insulating plug projecting from one end of the shell, a contact connected with the projecting end of the plug and spaced from the shell, a conducting rod extending longitudinally through the plug and provided with a lamp contact within the shell, a switch plate mounted to turn about said rod as a pivot at the outer end of the plug, said plate having a contact adapted to engage said first contact and movable toward and {from the same in a direction substantially normal to the surface thereof, said plug being provided with a recess, a ball in said recess, said plate being provided with a recess adapted to coact with said ball and of a 7 the ball will rest on the inclined side wall and thus tend to hold the switch against the contact.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

FRANKLIN H. HART, 

